Drive and lubricating system for vibrators and the like



May 29, 1962 E. F. PETERSON DRIVE AND LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR VIBRATORS AND THE LIKE Filed April 25, 1960 02 mm g m 192 v2 w m2 wv wv H mm 8 mo. 8 N n 1100 mn -w llv: No. ow \INQIQwWIA-H 7- v9 mm vw N: mo. mm in -m NM 5 wm O A m9 .06 9. my mm om 2 m w 8. M mm 2 3 mm 0% o. @N on ATTORNEY United rates atent he 3,036,658 Patented May 29, 1962 3,036,658 DRIVE AND LUBRICATING SYTEM FDR VEBRATORS AND THE LIKE Edwin F. Peterson, lt fartin Engineering (10., Neponset, llll. Filed Apr. 25, 1960, 561. No. 24,369 Claims. (U. 184*6) This invention relates to a vibrator or similar mechanism and more particularly to a system for combining the driving and lubrication aspects thereof.

A typical vibrator of the rotary type includes a casing in which an eccentric weight is carried for rotation, and the driving means for the vibrator is commonly a pneumatic motor driven by air under pressure and having an exhaust to atmosphere. According to the present invention, the exhaust of the motor, which entrains lubricant, is directed to the interior of the casing for lubricating the bearings of the drivable mechanism within the casing. t is a feature of the invention to provide the casing in such manner than the exhaust of the motor, together with its entrained lubricant, will pass outwardly through the bearings supporting the drivable mechanism. A further feature of the arrangement is that the casing is substantially fluid-tight except for outlets so arranged that the casing is substantially pressurized, which assures the lubrication of the moving parts. A still further object of the invention resides in a novel casing structure in which at least one of the supporting walls is in the nature of a double-walled structure providing part of a chamber separate from the interior of the casing but in communication therewith via passage means through the bearings, in which respect it is a feature of the invention to utilize conventional anti-friction bearings and to exploit the spaces between the rolling elements thereof as passage means for communicating the interior of the casing to the chamber afforded by the double-walled structure and thence to atmosphere.

The foregoing and other important objects and desirable features inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become apparent as a preferred embodiment thereof is disclosed in detail in the ensuing description and accompanying sheet of drawings, the figures of which are described below.

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of a preferred type of vibrator.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section taken generally along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an elevation of one of the cover or closure means for the vibrator casing as seen along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view as seen along the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

The vibrator chosen for purposes of illustration comprise a casing 16 made up of a peripheral Wall 12 and first and second closely spaced apart parallel walls 14 and 16. The casing shown is made up of a pair of complementary halves preferably welded together at 18 in the median plane of the casing. The lower part of the casing (as viewed in the drawings) has mounting lugs 20 thereon provided with screws 22 for attaching the vibrator to an object to be vibrated. A handle 24 facilitates carrying and mounting of the vibrator. The peripheral wall 12 may be provided at the top thereof with an opening 26 which is normally closed by a cover 28 and appropriate gasket 30.

The walls 14 and 16 are provided respectively with bearing-receiving openings 32 and 34, and these openings are coaxial on an axis normal to the planes of the walls 14 and 16. The openings are preferably circular and respectively carry first and second bearing-mounting rings 36 and 38, and these are preferably rigidly secured to the Walls by Welding at 40 and 42.

The casing contains drivable mechanism, here including a tubular shaft 44 coaxial with the axis of the openings 32 and 34 and having fixed thereto an arm 46 to the outer end of which a weight 43 is rigidly connected. The shaft 44 is journaled by first and second bearings 50 and 52 which in turn are carried respectively by the bearingmounting rings 36 and 38. Each bearing is of conventional construction, the first bearing including inner and outer race rings 54 and 56 and a pair of circular rows of angularly spaced rolling elements 58. The other bearing 52 is identical and has inner and outer race rings 60 and 62 and a pair of circular rows of angularly spaced rolling elements 64. The tubular shaft 44 is fitted in conventional fashion in the inner race rings 54 and 6t and the shaft, being tubular, may be regarded as having a hollow end opening coaxially at the outer face of the bearing 50, it being clear that the inner faces or inner portions of the two bearings 50 and 52 are exposed to the interior of the casing and the outer portions are exposed away from the interior of the casing.

It is a feature of the invention that the casing includes opposite double-walled structures, one of which comprises the inner wall 14 and an outer wall 66 and the other of which comprises the other wall 16 and a second outer wall 68. The outer wall 66 is preferably shaped as shown in FIGURES l and 2, and the periphery thereof, with an exception to be noted, is rigidly secured to the outer face of the wall 14 by welding at 70, portions of the wall 66 being displaced away from the general plane thereof so that a space 72 is provided between the two walls 14 and 66. The relationship between the two Walls 16 and 68 is similar, welding being used at 74 around the periphery of the wall 68, with an exception to be noted below, and the relationship between the two walls affording a space 76 therebetween.

A further feature of the double-Walled structure at each side of the casing is that the outer walls 66 and 68 provide additional support for the bearing-mounting rings 36 and 38. This is accomplished as to the wall 66 by the provision of a circular member 78 which is received in a correspondingly circular opening 80 in the wall 66, and the member 78 is welded to the inner face of the wall 66 as by welding at 82. The circular member 78 is itself apertured to receive a portion of the outer part of the bearingmounting ring 36, and again welding is employed at 84 to rigidly interconnect the member and the bearing-mounting ring. A similar relationship exists between the wall 68 and a circular member 86, the wall 68 having an opening 88 to receive the ring 86 which is welded to the wall 68 at 90 and which is welded to the outer part of the bearingmounting ring 38 at 92.

The exceptions to the peripheral welding of the Walls 66 and 68 respectively to the Walls 14 and 16 is instrumental in providing an outlet to atmosphere for each of the spaces 72 and 76. As for the wall 66, a lower portion thereof is displaced at 94 so as to provide an outlet 96. Displacement of the lower portion of the other outer wall 63 at 98 provides an outlet 1%.

That side of the casing including the double-walled structure 68 is supplemented by a circular cap or plate 162 which, together With the components 86 and 68, may be regarded as part of closure or cover means for that side of the casing. The cover is preferably removably secured to the casing ring or member 86 by cap screws (not shown) so that it becomes in effect an integral part of the casing which is disposed in overlying or enclosing relation to the outer face of the bearing 52. The inner face of the cap 102 is chambered or provided with a plurality of passages or grooves, including a central recess 104 and radial grooves 106. The recess '4- is substantially in axial register with the annulus or circle including the row of rolling bearing elements 6%, and the grooves 186 communicate with the recess or pocket 104- and extend radially outwardly to communicate with apertures or passages 10?; in the ring or member 36. Thus the space or chamber means 1ti41(i6 is communicated with the space 76 via the passages N3, so that the totality of the spaces or passages constitutes a cham ber at that side of the casing. This chamber is exposed to the row of bearing elements 64 via the recess res and this recess is in turn communicated with the space '76 via the passage means 106-168; and the chamber means thus afforded is open to atmosphere by the outlet 1%.

The arrangement just described is substantially duplicated at the opposite side of the casing, except that it includes means for mounting on the casing a pneumatic motor 11h. This motor may be of any conventional air-driven type and comprises a housing 112 containing driving means (which may be conventional and therefore is not shown) including a driving shaft or element 114 which is coaxially received by and keyed to the driven shaft 44 as by a key 116. The rotary driving means within the motor housing 112 is driven by air supplied under pressure to a pressure-air inlet 118 and this air is exhausted via an exhaust port 129. The means for mounting the motor 11% on the side of the casing includes a support 122 which is similar in many respects to the cap M2, except that it has a greater axial dimension and further has a central bore 124- for accommodating the motor shaft 114. The motor housing is ap propriately flanged and is secured to the support 122 as by a plurality of cap screws 1%. The support 122 itself is secured to the circular member or ring 78 as by cap screws 128 (FIGURE 1). The mounting of the member 122 serves as a basis for recognizing that the cap W2 is similarly mounted, the latter being provided with a plurality of apertures 1'30 for receiving cap screws corresponding to those at 128.

The casing-proximate face of the member 12 2 has a central recess or pocket 132 and radial grooves 134 similar respectively to those shown at lltld and 166 in FIG- URE 3, and in addition the ring 78 has a plurality of apertures or passages 11% which communicate the space 72 between the two Walls 14 and 66 with the space or chamber afiorded by the recess and grooves 134-136. The space 72 opens, as previously described, to atmosphere via the outlet 96.

In prior constructions of a generally similar nature, the exhaust of the motor lit) was simply exhausted to atmosphere. According to the present invention, the exhaust here is connected to the interior of the casing it? and since the air or other fluid used to drive the motor 110 entrains lubricant as a mist, leading the exhaust to the interior of the casing serves to lubricate the moving parts. In this case, the casing wall structure 1466 is provided with air inlet means including a pair of registering apertures 138 and 14% for receiving a tube or pipe 142. The pipe 142 is long enough to pass completely through the double-walled structure lr4-66 so that it communicates directly with the interior of the casing without communication with the space '72. Any type of tight friction fit may be relied upon at this junction. The pipe 142 extends outwardly and is appropriately connected by an elbow fitting 144 to the exhaust port 120 of the motor housing 112.

Thus, the exhaust of the motor is led into the interior of the casing which is substantially fluid-tight except for the passages, ports and outlets already noted. The pipe 142 enters the casing at a point spaced radially from the bearing means so that the exhaust pressure is led directly into the casing upstream of the bearings 59 and 52. The pressure rise in the casing will be efiective, because of the porting and passage means already described, to assure that the only way out for the mistentraining exhaust is through the passages afiorded by the spaces between the rolling elements 58 and 64 in the bearings 50 and 52 respectively. The fluid continues thence axially outwardly into the pockets or recesses 184 and 132 of the cap 162 and support 122 respectively, into the respective chambers afforded thereby and thence through the ports or passages 1673 and 136, into the chambers or spaces 76 and 72 and thence out the respective outlets ltltl and as. The relatively circuitous path and the relative sizes of the passages establish the necessary restriction to assure adequate lubrication of the bearings 5t" and 52. In addition to the foregoing, the casing is constructed in a novel and expedient manner, particularly to provide the double-walled structures l466 and l668, which provides not only the chamber means already described but also the additional support for the bearings 5th and 52, plus the adaptability thereof at one side of the casing to carry the mounting member 122 which in turn supports the motor 110.

Features and advantages other than those already enumerated will readily occur to those versed in the art, as will many modifications and alterations in the preferred structure disclosed, all of which may be achieved without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having first and second coaxially spaced apart bearing-receiving openings; first and second bearings carried respectively by said openings, each bearing having inner and outer rings and a circular row of angularly spaced elements between said rings and exposed to the interior of the casing; drivable mechanism in the casing, including a driven shaft coaxially carried by the bearing inner rings and having one end axially outwardly exposed at the first bearing inner ring; mounting means externally carried by the casing and enclosing the first bearing and having a bore therethrough in axial register with said shaft end, and further having a chamber therein exposed to the first bearing row of elements and provided with an' outlet to atmosphere; cover means externally carried by the casing and enclosing the second bearing and including a chamber exposed to the second bearing row of elements and provided with an outlet to atmosphere; a pneumatic motor carried by the mounting means and having a driving shaft extending through said bore and drivingly connected to the aforesaid end of the driven shaft, said motor having a pressure-air inlet and an exhaust port; and conduit means connected to the exhaust port and to the interior of the casing for leading the exhaust of the motor to the interior of the casing for passage outwardly through the rows of bearing elements and into the chambers and thence out through said outlets.

2. The invention defined in claim 1, in which: the casing includes first and second inner walls spaced apart on the axis of said openings and provided respectively with said openings; the mounting means includes a first outer wall spaced from the first inner wall and providing therewith a double-walled structure at that side of the casing, said structure including the aforesaid chamber and outlet of said mounting means; and the cover means includes a second outer wall spaced from the second inner wall and providing therewith a doublewalled structure at the associated side of the casing, said last'named structure including the chamber and outlet of said cover means.

3. The invention defined in claim 2, in which: each outer wall has peripheral portions thereof welded to the associated inner wall except at a relatively small area thereof so as to leave an opening providing the outlet for the associated chamber.

4. The invention defined in claim 2, in which: each outer wall has an inwardly facing pocket means coaxial with and supportingly receiving part of the proximate bearing.

5. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having first and econd coaxially spaced apart bearing-receiving openings; first and second bearings carried respectively by said openings, each bearing having inner and outer rings and a circular row of angularly spaced elements between said rings and exposed to the interior of the casing; drivable mechanism in the casing, including a driven shaft coaxially carried by the bearing inner rings and rotatably journaled by said bearings and having one end axially outwardly exposed at the first bearing inner ring; a weight within the casing and fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith; mounting means externally carried by the casing and enclosing the first bearing and having a bore therethrough in axial register with said shaft end, and further having first passage means lead ing from the first bearing row of elements to atmosphere; cover means externally carried by the casing and enclosing the second bearing and including second passage means leading from the second bearing row of elements to atmosphere; a pneumatic motor carried by the mounting means and having a driving shaft extending coaxially through said bore and drivingly connected to the aforesaid end of the driven shaft, said motor having a pressure-air inlet and an exhaust port; and conduit means connected to the exhaust port and to the interior of the casing for leading the exhaust of the motor to the interior of the casing for passage outwardly through the rows of bearing elements and thence to atmosphere via tne first and second passage means.

6. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having a bearin -receiving opening; a bearin carried by said openin and having inner and outer rings and a circular row of angularly spaced elements between said rings and exposed to the interior of the casing; drivable mechanism in the casing, including a driven shaft rotatably journaled by the bearing and coaxially carried by the bearing inner ring and having one end axially outwardly exposed at said inner ring; a weight within the casing and fixed to the shaft for rotation therewith; mounting means externally carried by the casing and enclosing the bearing and having a bore therethrough in axial register with said shaft end, and further having a chamber therein exposed to the row of bearing elements and provided with an outlet to atmosphere; a pneumatic motor carried by the mounting means and having a driving shaft extending coaxially through said bore and drivingly connected to the aforesaid end of the driven shaft, said motor having a pressure-air inlet and an exhaust port; and conduit means connected to the exhaust port and to the interior of the casing for leading the exhaust of the motor to the interior of the casing for passage outwardly through the row of bearing elements and into the chamber and thence out through said outlet.

7. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having a bearingreceiving opening; a bearing carried by said opening and having inner and outer rings and a circular roW of angularly spaced elements between said rings and exposed to the interior of the casing; drivable mechanism in the casing, including a driven shaft rotatably journaled by the bearing and coaxially carried by the bearing inner ring and having one end axially outwardly exposed at said inner ring; mounting means externally carried by the casing and enclosing the bearing and having a bore therethrough in axial register with said shaft end, and further having passage means leading from the row of bearing elements to atmosphere; a pneumatic motor carried by the mounting means and having a driving shaft extending coaxially through said bore and drivingly connected to the aforesaid end of the driven shaft, said motor having a pressure-air inlet and an exhaust port; and conduit means connected to the exhaust port and to the interior of the casing for leading the exhaust of the motor to the interior of the casing for passage outwardly through the row of bearing elements and thence to atmosphere via the first and second passage means.

8. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having a Wall thereof provided with a bearing-receiving opening; bearing means in said opening and having an anti-friction annulus including an inner portion exposed to the interior of the casing and an outer portion leading to atmosphere and further including passage means interconnecting said portions in traversing relation to said annulus, said bearing means further having a central opening; drivable mechanism within the casing and including a part rotatably carried by said bearing means and incurring friction in said annulus; a pneumatic motor mounted on said wall and including a driving element connected to said part via said central opening and further including a pressureair inlet and an exhaust port; and conduit means connected to said exhaust port and leading to the interior of the casing in spaced relation to the passage means for causing the motor exhaust to enter the casing and to exit to atmosphere via the passage means for at least in part alleviating the results of friction in said annulus.

9. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having a wall thereof provided with a bearing-receiving opening; bearing means in said opening and having an anti-friction annulus including inner and outer peripheries, an axially inner portion exposed to the interior of the casing and an outer portion leading to atmosphere and further including passage means interconnecting said portions in close proximity to one of said peripheries, said bearing means further having a central opening; drivable mechanism within the casing and including a part rotatably carried by said bearing means and incurring friction in said annulus; a pneumatic motor including a driving element connected to said part via said central opening and further including a pressure-air inlet and an exhaust port; and conduit means connected to said exhaust port and leading to the interior of the casing in spaced relation to the passage means for causing the motor exhaust to enter the casing and to exit to atmosphere via the passage means for at least in part alleviating the effects of friction in said annulus.

10. The combination including: a casing having a wall thereof provided with a bearing-receiving opening; hearing means in said opening and having an annular antifriction part including an inner portion exposed to the interior of the casing and an outer portion leading to atmosphere and further including passage means proximate to said part and interconnecting said portions, said bearing means further having a central opening; drivable mechanism within the casing and including a part rotatably carried by said bearing means and incurring heating of said part during rotation; a fluid-driven motor including a driving element connected to said pa-rt via said central opening and further including a pressure-fluid inlet and an exhaust port; and conduit means connected to said exhaust port and leading to the interior of the casing in spaced relation to the passage means for causing the motor exhaust to enter the casing to exit via the passage means for cooling said bearing part.

11. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having first and second coaxially spaced apart bearing-receiving openings; first and second bearings carried respectively by said openings, each bearing having inner and outer rings and a circular row of angularly spaced elements between said rings and exposed to the interior of the casing; drivable mechanism in the casing, including a driven shaft coaxially carried by the bearing inner rings and having one end axially outwardly exposed at the first bearing inner n'n-g; means externally carried by the casing and enclosing the first bearing and having a bore therethrough in axial register with said shaft end, and further having chamber means therein exposed to the first bearing row of elements and provided with an outlet to atmosphere; cover means externally carried by the casing and enclosing the second bearing and including chamber means exposed to the second bearing row of elements and provided with an outlet to atmosphere; a pneumatic motor having a driving shaft extending through said bore and drivingly connected to the aforesaid end of the driven shaft, said motor having a pressure-air inlet and an exhaust port; and conduit means connected to the exhaust port and to the interior of the casing for leading the exhaust of the motor to the interior of the casing for passage outwardly through the rows of bearing elements and into the chambers and thence out through said outlets.

12. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having a bearingreceiving opening; a bearing carried by said opening and having inner and outer rings and a circular row of angularly spaced elements between said rings and exposed to the interior of the casing; drivable mechanism in the cas ing, including a driven shaft coaxially carried by the hearing inner ring and having one end axially outwardly exposed at said inner ring; means externally carried by the casing and enclosing the bearing and having a bore therethrough in axial register with said shaft end, and further having chamber means therein exposed to the row of bearing elements and provided with an outlet to atmosphere; a pneumatic motor having a driving shaft extending through said bore and d-rivingly connected to the aforesaid end of the driven shaft, said motor having a pressure-air inlet and an exhaust port; and conduit means connected to the exhaust port and to the interior of the casing for leading the exhaust of the motor to the interior of the casing for passage outwardly through the row of bearing elements and into the chamber and thence out through said outlet.

13. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having wall means including a partition providing first and second chambers; rotary vibrator mechanism within the first chamber; bearing means journaling the vibrator mechanism in the casing and including first and second portions exposed respectively to the first and second chambers; a fluid motor for driving the vibrator mechanism and including a pressure inlet and an exhaust outlet; conduit means connecting the exhaust outlet to one of the chambers to conduct fluid to and to pressurize said one chamber, the associated bearing portion being thereby subject to the eifects of such pressurizing; and passage means including a port communicating said one chamber with the other for at least partially pressurizing said other chamber and a restricted port leading from a chamber to atmosphere, the bearing portion exposed to said other chamber being thereby subject to the effects of the pressurizing of said other chamber.

14. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having wall means including a partition providing first and second chambers; rotary vibrator mechanism within the first chamber; bearing means journaling the vibrator mechanism in the casing and including an anti-friction annulus and first and second portions at opposite sides of said annulus and exposed respectively to the first and second chambers; a fluid motor for driving the vibrator mechanism and including a pressure inlet and an exhaust outlet; and conduit means connecting the exhaust outlet to the chambers for fluid-pressurizing the chambers at said first and second portions of the bearing means, one of said chambers having a restricted outlet to atmosphere.

15. A vibrator, comprising: a casing having Wall means defining a casing interior and including a double-walled structure provided with a fluid space therein; bearing means carried by said structure and including passage means leading therethrough in by-passing relation to said space; rotary vibrator mechanism in the casing interior and including a part journaled by the bearing means; means for introducing fluid to the casing interior in bypassing relation to said space for outflow through said passage means and exteriorly of said casing interior; and means for directing said outflow into said space, including a fluid inlet in said structure leading into said space exclusively of said interior, and said structure having a fluid outlet from said space exclusively of said interior.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,278,839 Douglass Apr. 7, 1942 2,738,769 Holman et al Mar. 20, 1956 2,766,629 Booth Oct. 16, 1956 

